Recessed fluorescent troffer



April 1961 ROSENBLATT ET AL 2,981,829

RECESSED FLUORESCENT TROFFER Filed Jan. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 2.

00 INVENTORS. LE RD ROSENBLATT LL A ROSENBLATT JERRY J. SILVER N N CHESTER VOSSB K ATTORNEYS.

April 25, 1961 ROSENBLATT ET AL 2,981,829 RECESSED FLUORESCENT TROFFER Filed Jan. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 l0 n! 38' 23 3| 6| 3| 24 '2 F I G. 5.

a 32 4o a, J 4 44 42 39 FIG.7.

INVENTORS. LEONARD ROSENBLATT ALEX ROSENBLATT JERRY d. SILVERS CHESTER VOSSBRINK ATTORNEYS RECESSED FLUORESCENT TROFFER se C l a c porat n Ca i o ni Filed a 8, 1 960, Ser. No, 1,274

6 Claims. (Cl. 240 51.11

This invention relates to improvements in lighting fixtures, and in particular to that typeof lighting fixture which may be described as. a recessed fluorescent troffer.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a lighting. fixture that is adapted to be. recessed in a ceiling and which is so designed that it may be readily opened from either side to facilitate and enable the replacement of fluorescent tubeswhenever occasion requires and the maintenance or replacement of the ballast that is used in conjunction with the fluorescent tubes.

Explanatory of the present invention, it is desired in many instances to recess a lighting fixture containing one or more fluorescent tubes in a ceiling. These tubes, like other forms of electric lamps, require replacement from time to time. It also sometimes occurs that the transformer or ballast associates with thetubes requires'some maintenance and sometimes replacement. By means of the present construction the door frame of the housing that is recessed in the ceiling can be optionally arranged to open and swing downwardly from the housing from either side thereof whichever may prove to be the most convenient, to enable replacement of the fluorescent tubes.

Within the housing there is a unitized assembly on which the fluorescent tubes are mounted and on the back of which there is a transformer or ballast. This unitized assembly can likewise be arranged to swing downwardly from the housing on either side thereof, whichever may prove the most convenient to enable maintenance operations or replacement of the ballast to be performed. Wiring leading to and from the ballast to the sockets for the tubes is also rendered readily accessible.

Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating fixture having the above-mentioned characteristics wherein a simple, but highly efficient, retractable and extensible supporting construction is incorporated in the housing enabling the housing to be inserted in a recess in a ceiling while the supports are in retracted position andthereafter extended to engage supporting structures in the ceiling so that the housing maybe supported thereby. The construction is such as to enable the supports on the housing to be adjusted to tighten the housing upwardly against the ceiling.

Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating fixture having the above-mentioned .characteristics which is so designed that a plurality of trofi'ers may be arranged in the ceiling optionally in end to end alignment and bemutually connected together.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is bad to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein: Figure 1' isa-yiew in side elevation of two fluorescent troffers embodying the presentinvention arranged in end to end alignment'and mutually connected together, .parts of the troflers being broken away to illustrate the interior thereof;

Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially upon the line 22 upon Fig. 1 in the direction indicated;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 3-3 upon Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially upon the line 44 upon Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially upon the line 5-5 upon Fig. 1, and illustrating in dotted lines the manner in which the door frame for the troifer and the unitized assembly within the housing may be swung downwardly from the housing;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sect-ion illustrating details of the latch that may be employed to releasably fasten the doc frame in closed position in the housing; and

Fig. 7 is a group of partial views in perspective of portions of the housing, the unitized assembly, and the door frame.

Referringto the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved trofler comprises an outer housing which may be formed of sheet metal having a top 10, opposed sides 11 and 12, and opposed ends 13 and 14. This housing is adapted to be recessed in an opening 15 in a ceiling adjacent which there are usually parallel supporting channels 16 and 17 which may be suspended, such as is indicated at 18. The finish material of the ceiling, which may be plaster or other material, is indicated at 19 and the edges of this finish material surrounding the opening 15 are adapted to be covered by flanges 20 on the sides and ends of the housing.

Near the ends of the sides 11 and 12 apertures 21 and 22 are formed through which angular brackets 23 and 24 are slidable and are also tiltable. The lower portions of these brackets indicated at 25 and 26 areadapted to assume retracted positions with relation to the housing. That is, they can be caused to slide inwardly through the apertures 21 and 22 until limited by the downwardly turned extremities 27 and 28. This inward sliding movement is permitted by slots 29 formed in the top portions of the brackets which slidingly accommodate bolts 30 on which there are wing nuts or the equivalent indicated at 31.

In inserting the housing in the opening 15, the brackets 23 and 24 are shifted from the position shown in Fig. 2. towards each other so that the down-turned ends 27 and 28 assume positions against the outer sides of the side walls 11 and 12. While in this retracted position the housing is positioned in the opening 15 and the brackets are then extended by sliding them outwardly into positions over the channels 16 and 17. On tightening the wing nuts 31 these brackets are caused to tilt in their respective apertures 21 and 22, thus lifting the housing relatively to the channels 16 and 17 until the flanges 20 are in firm engagement with the finish ceiling material 19,. By means of this arrangement, it will be appreciated that the housing can be inserted in the opening while the brackets are in retracted positions, then the brackets can be extended to engage the supporting channels 16 and 17, and finally, the brackets may be finally adjusted by means of the wing nuts 31 to lift the housing and tighten the flanges against the ceiling material 19.

Within the housing there is a unitized lamp assembly and reflector therefor comprising an inverted troughshaped reflector having a top 32 and downwardly and outwardly inclined sides 33 and 34. This reflector extends from substantially end to end of the housing but the top 32 is recessed or rebated as indicated at 35 at its ends, see Fig. 3, to accommodate sockets 36 for the ends of one or more fluorescent tubes 37. These sockets are mounted, such as by screws 38 against the under sides of socket supports or bridging member 38 which have their top portions disposed in spaced relation to the top portion 32 of the reflector but have their downwardly and outwardly inclined sides secured to the reflector such as by screws 39. Covering members 40 are disposed over the recesses 35 in the ends of the'refleetor 32 and fit snugly about those portions of the sockets 36 which project downwardly beneath the top of the reflector 32. The transformer or ballast 41 is rigidly mounted on the top or upper side of the reflector so that the reflector, the socket supporting members 38, the covering members 40, sockets 36, tubes 37 and the ballast all form a unit disposed within the housing.

Each socket support 38' has one end thereof formed with a T-shaped head 42 and these T-shaped heads are receivable through T-shaped slots or openings 43 in the sides of the housing. Both side walls 11 and12 of the housing are formed with the T-shaped slots 43 adjacent each end thereof but the socket supports 38 and T-shaped heads only on one end thereof. When the T-shaped heads 42 are disposed in the slot 43 in the side wall 11 of the housing the unitized assembly is thus hingedly connected to the side wall and consequently may be swung downwardly from the full-line position shown in Fig. to the dotted-line position shown in this figure. Conversely, if the unitized assembly has its position reverse end for end in the housing so that the T-shaped heads 42 occupy the T-shaped slots in the side wall 12, the unitized assembly will be thus hingedly mounted on the side wall 12 of the housing and is capable of swinging downwardly from the side wall 12.

The ends of the socket supports 38' which are not equipped with the T-shaped heads 42 have thumb screws 44 or equivalent latch fasteners threaded therein which can be screwed into apertures in abutments 45 that are mounted within the housing at the ends thereof. These abutments are formed by flanges 46 that are formed on the bottom edges of sheet metal sections 47 that are secured to the inner sides of the end walls 13 and 14. The flanges 46 in effect provide seats on the end walls against which the socket supporting. members 38 may seat when the unitized assembly is in its normal position supported at one side in the housing by the T-shaped heads 42 and on the opposite side by the thumb screws 44.

The side walls 11 and 12 of the housing are stepped near the flanges 30 and in the vertical portions of the steps there are T-shaped slots 48 which receive T-shaped heads 49 that are formed on one side only of a glass frame 50 that contains a glass pane or the equivalent indicated at 51. When the unitized assembly has its heads 42 occupying the T-shaped slots 43 in the side wall 11, the T-shaped heads 49 on the glass frame occupy the T-shaped slots 48 on the same side of the housing so that the glass frame is swingable downwarly from the same side of the housing that the unitized assembly is swingable. Conversely, if the unitized assembly has its position reversed so as to be swingable downwardly from the side 12 of the housing, the glass frame will usually have its heads 49 occupying the T- shaped slots 48 in the side 12. The horizontal portions of the steps in the side walls of the housing are equipped with apertures 52 which are adapted to receive the heads 53 of spring actuated pivoted latches 54 that are actuated by compression springs 55. These latches have handles 56 that are exposed on the bottom of the glass frame. The heads 53 normally engage over the edges of the apertures 52 to hold the glass frame in closed position but on swinging the handles 56 downwardly these heads can be caused to release the glass frame at its swinging edge and allow the glass frame to swing downwardly on the T-shaped heads 49.

The lighting fixture is energized by a supply conductor 57 which leads through a wall of the housing and which is connected to the transformer or ballast 41. From the ballast, conductors 58 and 59 lead to the sockets 36. Theend walls may be equipped with male and female electric sockets 60 and 6110 which the supply conductors 57 are electrically connected. These sockets 60 and 61 enable a plurality of lighting fixtures embodying the present invention to be arranged in end to end relationship and to be electrically connected to each other.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that after the housing has been installed and mounted in position by the brackets 23 and 24 that the unitized assembly can be optionally mounted in the housing so as to be swingable downwardly from either side 11 or 12. The glass frame can be likewise mounted on the housing to be swingable downwardly from either side thereof. This enables the glass frame to be opened for replacement of the fluorescent tubes37 whenever occasion may require, and it enables maintenance work to be performed on the ballast 41 or the electrical connections located between the reflector and the housing. If the installation should be such that it is more convenient to eflfect a replacement of the tubes 37 or to perform the maintenance work by swinging the unitized assembly and glass frame downwardly from the side 12 of the housing than from the side 11 then the unitized assembly and glass frame can be reversed end for end in the housing to facilitate the performance of these operations.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An illumination fixture comprising: an outer inverted box-like housing having opposed ends and opposed side walls, said sidewalls having a plurality of upper T-shaped slots formed therein and having a plurality of lower T-shaped slots formed therein, and said housing being adapted to be recessed in a ceiling; means, mounted on said housing, for supporting said housing in the ceiling; a unitized fluorescent lamp assembly within said housing, said assembly having opposed sides and including a reflector extending substantially the length of said housing, means for mounting fluorescent lamps mounted on the lower side of said reflector, and transformer means mounted on the upper side of said reflector; a plurality of first T-shaped heads mounted along one side of said assembly and received in said upper T-shaped slots in one side of said housing so as to pivotally mount said assembly on said one side of said housing, said first heads being formed so as to be optionally receivable in the upper T-shaped slots in the other side of said housing so as to pivotally mount said assembly on said other side of said housing; releasable means, mounted on the other side of said assembly and on the other side of said housing, for securing the other side of said assembly to the other side of said housing; a frame for holding a glass pane mounted across the open bottom of said housing, said frame having opposed sides and opposed ends; a plurality of second T-shaped heads mounted along one side of said frame, said second heads being received in said lower T-shaped slots in one side of said housing so as to pivotally mount said frame on said one side of said housing, said second heads being formed so as to be receivable optionally in the lower T-shaped slots in the other side of said housing so as to be capable of pivotally supporting said frame on said other side of said housing; and releasable latch means mounted on the other side of said frame for fastening the other side of said frame to the other side of said housing.

2. A recessed fluorescent troffer comprising: an outer inverted box-like housing having opposed side walls, opposed end walls and an open bottom, each of said side walls having a first T-shaped slot and a second T-shaped slot formed therein, and said housing being adapted to be recessed in a ceiling; abutment members mounted on the interior side of each of said side walls, means for supporting said housing in the ceiling, said supporting means including retractable bracket means, capable of extending beyond said side walls, for engaging sup.-

porting members in said ceiling, said bracket means being slidably and tiltably mounted on said housing so as to be capable of being retracted to a position adjacent said side wall-s when not so engaged; unitized assembly means, having two sides, for mounting a fluorescent electric lamp within said housing, said assembly means being capable of being mounted within said housing and including an inverted trough-shaped reflector capable of extending substantially from end to end of said housing, a fluorescent electric lamp socket mounted on the lower side of said reflector, and a ballast mounted on the upper side of said reflector; a first T-shaped head mounted on one side of said assembly means, said first head being adapted to be received by said first T-shaped slots so as to be capable of pivotally mounting said assembly means on either side of said housing; means, mounted on the other side of said assembly means, for releasably fastening said other side of said assembly means to said abutment member, said means being adapted to hold said other side of said assembly means in fixed relationship to said housing; a frame for holding a pane of glass across said open bottom of said housing; said frame having opposed sides and opposed ends; a second T-shaped head mounted on one side of said frame, said second head being adapted to be received by said second T-shaped slots so as 'to be capable of pivotally supporting said frame on either side of said housing; and latching means mounted on the other side of said frame for releasably fastening said other side of said frame to said housing.

3. An illumination fixture which includes:

an elongated box-like housing having an open bottom, a top, and sides spaced from one another, each of said sides containing a plurality of upper slot means formed therein for hingedly supporting a reflector and having a plurality of lower slot means formed therein for hingedly supporting a glass pane means, all of said upper slot means being spaced equidistant from said open bottom and all of said lower slot means being spaced equidistant from said open bottom between said upper slot means and said open bottom;

means attached to said housing for mounting said housing upon a ceiling;

a reflector located within said housing, said reflector having upper and lower surfaces and side edges, and including head means for supporting said reflector on said housing, said head means being located along one of said side edges so as to extend therefrom, and each of said head means being capable of being fitted within one of said upper slot means so as to hingedly support said reflector with respect to said housing;

means for securing said reflector to saidv housing mounted on the other of said side edges of said reflector;

ballast means mounted on said upper surface of said reflector within said housing;

socket means for holding fluorescent lamps mounted on said lower surface of said reflector;

fluorescent lamp means held by said socket means so as to extend along said lower surface of said reflector;

glass pane means for enclosing said open bottom of said housing, said pane means having side edges and including head means located along one of said side edges for hingedly supporting said pane means upon said housing, each of said head means fitting within one of said lower slot means; and

means for securing said pane means with respect to said housing mounted on the other of said side edges of said pane means.

4. An illumination fixture as defined in claim 3, wherein each of said slot means has a T-shape and wherein each of said head means comprises a T-shaped head capable of fitting into one of said T-shaped slot means.

5. An illumination fixture as defined in claim 3, inclu-ding:

other socket means mounted on said housing so as to extend into the interior thereof;

flexible conductor means electrically connecting said other socket means With said ballast means;

and other conductor means electrically connecting said ballast means with said first-mentioned socket means.

6. An illumination fixture which includes:

an elongated box-like housing having an open bottom, a top, and two opposed sides spaced from one another, one of said sides having formed therein a plurality of upper slot means for hingedly supporting a reflector and the other of said sides having formed therein a plurality of lower slot means for hingedly supporting a glass pane means, all of said upper slot means being spaced equidistant from said open bottom, and all of said lower slot means being spaced equidistant from said open bottom to said upper slot means;

means attached to said housing for supporting said housing upon a ceiling;

a reflector located within said housing, said reflector having upper and lower surfaces and opposed side edges, and including head means for supporting said reflector on said housing located along one of said side edges of said reflector so as to extend therefrom, each of said head means being fitted within one of said upper slot means so as to hingedly support said reflector with respect to said housing;

means for securing said reflector to said housing located on the other of said side edges of said reflector;

ballast means mounted on the upper surface of said reflector within said housing;

first socket means for holding fluorescent lamps mounted on said lower surface of said reflector;

fluorescent lamp means held by said first socket means so as to extend along said lower surface of said reflector between the ends thereof;

glass .pane means for enclosing said open bottom of said housing, said pane means having opposed side edges and including head means for supporting said pane means on said housing; each of said last-mentioned head means upon said pane means being fitted within one of said lower slot means so as to hingedly support said pane means with respect to said housing;

means for securing said pane means with respect to said housing mounted on the other of said side edges of said housing; and

means for electrically connecting said ballast means to a source of electrical power;

second socket means mounted on said housing;

flexible conductor means electrically connecting said second means with said ballast means;

and other conductor means electrically connecting said ballast means with said first-mentioned socket means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

